Return of Dougie Hamilton gives Bruins balance on defense

PHILADELPHIA — For his first trick back from a four-game absence, Dougie Hamilton only had to match up against the Flyers’ first line of Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux, and Jakob Voracek.

Hamilton brushed off the challenging re-entry to NHL pace in Saturday’s 6-1 Bruins win. In his first game since a concussion took him out of uniform, Hamilton responded with an 18:55 workload and three shots on goal. The Flyers’ top line didn’t score an even-strength goal.

“I think everyone’s playing well,” Hamilton said. “I’m happy to be a part of it now.”

Hamilton’s return gave the Bruins options. Zdeno Chara started the game with Johnny Boychuk as his partner. But once the Bruins grabbed the lead, the coaching staff opted for balanced defensive pairings.